An epidemiological study on diabetes mellitus in the Iwaki area

We made a statistical study of diabetics in the medical ward of Iwaki Kyoritsu General Hospital over a period of 30 years. The number of diabetic inpatients at our hospital was 24 in 1951, 152 in 1970 and 350 in 1980. The ratio of diabetic inpatients to the total number of inpatients at the medical department of our hospital increased from 2 percent in 1957 to 15 percent in 1980. According to reports from the Welfare Ministry of Japan on the nutritional intake of the Japanese, calorie intake has not changed, but there has been a change in composition. Carbohydrate intake has decreased, and animal protein and fat intakes have increased. Therefore, the increase in the number of diabetic inpatients in the medical ward of our hospital seems to be connected to the changes in diet; i.e., the increases in the intake of animal protein and fat. As causes of death in diabetics, malignant neoplasms, cerebrovascular diseases and renal diseases were most prevalent. In primary diabetics, cerebrovascular disease, malignant neoplasms and renal diseases were responsible for the greater percentage, and in secondary diabetics, liver cirrhoses and malignant neoplasms were responsible for the greater percentage. In primary diabetics, renal diseases has shown a remarkable increase with time.